Emergency Planning and Preparedness

“State of Emergency Planning and Preparedness”
Presented at Board of Supervisors Meeting

The Board of Supervisors accepted a report, “Fairfax County: State of Emergency Planning and Preparedness,” from County Executive Anthony H. Griffin that was presented to the board during the
morning session of today’s meeting.

Griffin outlined the progress the county has made since Sept. 11, 2001; presented an overview of the county's emergency management response and outline of who is in charge during an incident;
discussed evacuation plans, including the needs and responses by the county for special populations and ways the county communicates with its residents and internally with key responders; and
presented a future action plan for continued efforts the county can undertake. His plan of action included:

Adopting best practices from other jurisdictions.

Using performance-based approaches to the county’s staffing, planning, equipping, training and exercising.

Updating the county’s Emergency Operation Plan to include full compliance with the National Response Plan, including the National Incident Management System and Incident Command Structure.

Committing support to each of the emergency support functions to ensure that the county can provide a balanced response to an emergency.

Building on existing relationships and forming others to look for creative ways to ensure that every county resident has an emergency supply kit in their home or apartment.

Increasing the use of available funding to enhance communication capabilities, such as satellite phones, the National Capital Region’s interoperability efforts of connecting emergency
operation centers, and the creation of a regional wireless broadband network.

Residents unable to attend the meeting may view a Channel 16 replay of the board meeting on Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning at 10 a.m. Griffin’s presentation is also available on the county’s Web
site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/planning_and_preparedness.pdf. For more information on the meeting or the presentation, call the
Office of Public Affairs at 703-324-3187, TTY 711.

To request this information in an alternate format, call the Office of Public Affairs at 703-324-3187, TTY 711.